According to the prior art the remote control of movement and operation phases of a vehicle can take place according to several feasible control modes. If during the movement phase the same route to a working place is taken during a large number of sequences, it is suitable to use a guide cable control mode wherein the vehicle/engine during its movement follows an overhead cable or a cable buried in the ground, and control signals are supplied to said cable. These signals generate an electromagnetic field around the cable, that is detected by a set of antenna coils on the vehicle/engine. On the other hand, if the route is frequently changed, perhaps after each sequence, it is more convenient to use a control mode in which the control signals are transmitted by radio. In that case, it is presupposed that an operator who continuously supervises the vehicle/engine attends to the remote control from a control console by means of which practically the same operations can be performed as with the operation control equipment which normally is found on the vehicle/engine.
In the operation phase following the movement phase it is convenient to use the last mentioned control mode or even a manual control mode, since probably the operation phase is often changed.
Switching from one control mode to another and vice versa could be done automatically, e.g. when the transmission of control signals over one control mode is interrupted or ceases. Alternatively, the switching could be done according to a predetermined preference of the control modes. Said pre-requisites for the switching between the control modes could, however, cause non-desirable transitions, e.g. when the transmission of the control signals ceases as a result of a defect in the transmission.